Shrek the Third (2007)

Weary Tales

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

I've never been a fan of the Shrek movies, and the third entry in the series dutifully continues with everything they do that's annoying and irrational, mainly because the formula has always resulted in giant box office returns. This time the Dreamworks animators have made an attempt to render their characters more lifelike, which brings them closer to that soulless, creepy look of The Polar Express. At the same time, they lack the sheer talent (or money) of the Pixar team, and their characters come out looking clunky, especially with their stiff robot walk. The writing (by no less than seven scribes) has not improved; the so-called "jokes" are all asides and references, coming from outside the material rather than arising organically from within. That's probably just as well, because, stripped of the jokes and computer trickery, the story is blandly banal. Shrek no longer wants to be a king, and decides to track down the kingdom's other rightful heir, Artie (voiced by an awkward Justin Timberlake). At the same time, the defeated Prince Charming (voiced by Rupert Everett) assembles a team of fairy-tale villains to attack the kingdom and wrest control for himself. Meanwhile, Fiona (voiced by Cameron Diaz) is pregnant and Shrek is getting the fatherhood jitters. The plot progresses much like the previous films, with lies and misunderstandings reminiscent of a "Three's Company" episode. Regardless, I laughed a few times. Mike Myers once again voices the giant ogre using an inexplicable Scottish accent. My favorite character, Puss n' Boots (voiced by Antonio Banderas), is wasted when a magic spell causes him to switch bodies with Donkey (voiced by Eddie Murphy). Julie Andrews and John Cleese return, and Eric Idle joins the series as Merlin. More highly trained ears will be able to recognize Amy Sidaris, Cheri Oteri, Regis Philbin and other character actors in small roles. (Note: see also Shrek 2.)